German word

anrichten

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈanʁɪçtn̩/

Meaning

  • verbdish up

Example

Ich richte den Salat an.

I dish up the salad.

Illustration for anrichten (dish up)

More examples

Der Sturm hat großen Schaden angerichtet.

The storm caused major damage.

Core concept

A cook sets ingredients into a finished arrangement, while an action can set damage in motion.

Common phrases

  • großen Schaden anrichten

    cause major damage

  • Chaos anrichten

    cause chaos

  • Unruhe anrichten

    cause unrest

Similar words

servieren: Offer food or drinks to guests at the table.
zubereiten: Prepare ingredients by cooking them into an edible dish.
decken: Set out plates and cutlery to prepare a table for a meal.

Definition in German

Speisen auf einem Teller oder einer Platte so anordnen, dass sie servierfertig und ansprechend sind.

Word origin

Anrichten combines the separable prefix an- with richten, a Germanic verb meaning to set or put in order, and extends this idea to serving food or producing an effect.

Usage tips

  • In a main clause, anrichten splits as in 'Ich richte den Salat an', but it stays together after a modal as in 'Ich muss den Salat anrichten'.

Other meanings

  • prepareverb
  • causeverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Anrichtungplatingnoun
  • angerichtetcausedadjective

Word lists with this word